"Roll Your Own Tobacco" Players

MICHAEL McANDREWS / Hartford Courant

George Tirado, of Waterbury, a co-owner of Smoke House Tobacco and a detective in the Waterbury Police Department leaves New Haven Federal Court in New Haven Thursday after being arraigned in the fund raising scandal involving the Chris Donovan campaign. Tirado, 36, eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Federal Elections Commission and to impede the FEC's enforcement of federal campaign finance laws. He faces a maximum prison term of five years and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on July 23.

George Tirado, of Waterbury, a co-owner of Smoke House Tobacco and a detective in the Waterbury Police Department leaves New Haven Federal Court in New Haven Thursday after being arraigned in the fund raising scandal involving the Chris Donovan campaign. Tirado, 36, eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Federal Elections Commission and to impede the FEC's enforcement of federal campaign finance laws. He faces a maximum prison term of five years and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced on July 23. (MICHAEL McANDREWS / Hartford Courant)

Robert Braddock Jr., the former finance director of House Speaker Christopher Donovan's congressional campaign outside New Haven Federal Court May 17th. Braddock went on trial in May facing charges of conspiring to conceal the source of campaign contributions.

Robert Braddock Jr., the former finance director of House Speaker Christopher Donovan's congressional campaign outside New Haven Federal Court May 17th. Braddock went on trial in May facing charges of conspiring to conceal the source of campaign contributions. (MICHAEL McANDREWS / Hartford Courant)

Eight men are accused of raising $27,500 in campaign contributions, disguising the source of the money and steering it in 2011 and 2012 to the congressional campaign of Donovan. The payments were part of a failed effort to kill a tax, which has eroded the competitive advantage roll-your-own tobacco stores had over the sellers of packaged cigarettes, authorities have said.